Vacaville man in custody after allegedly charging car at police

A 25-year-old Vacaville man is in custody after he allegedly drove at a police car in the process of making a traffic stop late Thursday night, forcing the officers involved to fire their firearms into the on-coming vehicle, authorities said Friday.

The incident began with a traffic stop by the Vacaville police shortly before midnight. While conducting the stop, officers reported seeing a vehicle without its headlights on racing towards them through an open field. According to the Vacaville Police Department, the officers feared for their lives and discharged their firearms. The vehicle, a silver Honda, struck a power utility box and one of the police cars before coming to rest in the middle of Leisure Town Road.

Occupants of the first car were taken out of the vehicle and placed in a safe location, while the occupants of the Honda were taken into custody. The driver, identified as Antonio Vasquez of Vacaville, was uninjured. One of the two passengers in the Honda suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg, according to a department news release. It was later determined occupants of the Honda had previously been kicked out of the nearby Hideaway Saloon after causing a disturbance.

Vasquez was booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon (vehicle) directed at police officers. The officers have been placed on administrative leave, as is customary, as the officer-involved shooting is investigated.